Escape
by IHeartUCato
Summary: 'I don't know why I called you of all people. I just needed to escape, ya know? And for some reason, I felt like I could trust you and I felt safe.' 'Bad call Angel." Nora and Patch don't know each other, some spoilers for Crescendo. R&R! For Kalli.


**A/N- YAY! I have joined this archive! In this story just know that Nora doesn't know Patch and she's kinda OC but whatever. This is for my friend Kalli! I'm working on the other one for you too! Oh, and it has some spoilers for Crescendo. **

**I don't own Hush, Hush. **

What the heck was taking her so long? My mom had _promised _she'd pick me up after school since Vee's away on vacation. And yet here I am. Standing in the rain, a whole _hour _after she said she'd pick me up. So not cool. I sigh and pull my hood tighter just as a jeep commando pulls up.

The window rolls down and a tan guy with pitch-black hair and matching eyes pops his head out. "Hey! Need a ride?"

It takes me a moment to realize that he's talking to me and when I do, I blush because who else would he be talking to? I'm the only damn person here. "Uh, no thanks. I don't take rides from strangers." I say almost taking a step back.

Instead of shrugging and driving away like I would expect him to, he starts to grin a little. "Cipriano. Patch Cipriano. There. We aren't strangers anymore."

I raise an eyebrow and nearly grin back, but stop myself. For all I know Mr. Cipriano here could be a serial killer. "Well _Patch_, we're still strangers since you don't know me." I state.

His grin widens. "You're Nora Grey."

I feel both eyebrows rise as I stare at him. "How do you know my name?"

He shrugs, his grin still on playing on his lips. "I go to CHS. Now, it's raining pretty damn hard." He says, opening the passenger seat door invitingly.

"But-" I start before he cuts me off.

"No buts. You're going to catch a cold. But if you do I can always warm you up." He adds, a suggestive quality adding to his wide grin. I stare at him shocked and he laughs, deep and husky, at me. "I'm just kidding. Kinda." I don't even have time for my shock to register this time before he continues. "But if you're not going to get in because we're strangers, if we talk during the drive we won't really be strangers anymore."

I bite my lip. He makes a good point. And I'm not sure the rain is going to let up anytime soon, if anything it's just getting colder. And his car is warm and dry. I sigh. "Fine." His grin grows even further as I hurry out of the rain and into his car, closing the door behind me.

I cross my arms after I click the seatbelt on and Patch pulls out of the school parking lot. "So." I start trying to escape the awkward silence. "In order to not be strangers we have to talk to each other right?"

An eyebrow rises. "Yeah, that's generally how these things work."

"What do you do in your leisure time?" I ask off the top of my head.

"I don't have free time." He answers and I can _see_ him trying to hold his laughter back. I frown. "Alright, alright. Free time. I take pictures."

"So you're into photography?" I ask.

"You didn't let me finish." He says before continuing on. "I've got quite the collection on an eZine columnist who believes there's truth in eating organic, who writes poetry in secret, and shudders at having to choose between Stanford, Yale and... what's the big one with an _H_?" I feel my jaw drop and his grin starts to make him look like the Cheshire cat. "But you won't o to any of them."

"I won't?" I ask, interested, before I mentally chastise myself.

He glances at me quickly before turning back to the road. "Even though you'd thrive at all three schools, you scorn them for being a cliché _ of achievement. Passing judgement is your third biggest weakness."

I stare at him wide eyed. "And my second?" I ask, done with pretending not to be interested.

"You don't know how to trust. I take that back. You trust- just all the wrong people."

And wasn't that obvious. I got into a car with what seems like my own personal stalker. "And my _first_?" I demand.

"You keep your life on a short leash."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're scared of what you can't control." He says simply. For a while I just sit there staring at him. How the heck could he know this much about me? "Do you sleep naked?" He asks nonchalantly.

I snort and turn around to stare at the road as he makes another turn. "You're hardly the person I'd tell."

"A damn shame." He mutters and I narrow my eyes at the road in front of me. "Ever been to a shrink?"

"No." I lie. I can't have him thinking he knows _everything _about me.

"Done anything illegal?"

"No." Going over the speed limit by a mile or two shouldn't really count as 'illegal'. I sigh. "Why can't you ask something normal? Like... my favourite kind of music?"

I feel him shrug from his seat. "Not going to ask what I can guess."

I raise an eyebrow, though I doubt he could see it. "You do _not_ know the kind of music I listen to." I say firmly. There's no way he could guess it.

"Baroque." He says easily as I gape at him. "With you it's all about order, control. I bet you play... cello?"

"Wrong." I lie again. What is wrong with this guy?

"What's that?" He asks, his hand coming out and tapping the birthmark on my wrist.

I pull my arm away. "A birthmark." I mutter.

"Looks like a scar. Are you suicidal Nora?" He asks and I look back at him. Our eyes meet and I can tell that he's laughing at me. I glare at him and he turns back to the road. Another turn. "Parents married or divorced?"

"I live with mom." I answer, still glaring.

"Where's dad?" He asks and I have to look away and down. Away from him.

"My dad passed away last year." I say softly.

"How'd he die?" He asks almost flippantly and I wince.

"He was- murdered. This is kind of personal territory if you don't mind." I murmur.

His hard black eyes soften a bit with sympathy, but I see no pity yet. And that grin is finally gone too. "That must be hard."

"Yeah." I mutter before clearing my throat. "Anyway, I still know nothing about you."

"Here we are Angel." He says instead of answering.

"Angel?" I ask.

"Mhmm. Why? Do you not like it?" He asks, his grin returning.

"No, not really." I say crossing my arms to stare at him.

His grin grows along with my discomfort. "Then it stays. Good night Angel."

I look out the window and see the familiar farmhouse with a start. I look back at him wide eyed. "I didn't tell you where I live."

"Yes you did." He says quickly.

The thoughts in my head seem to be muddled, but I'm fairly certain I didn't. "No..." I say shaking my head.

"Yeah you did. Just after you got into my car, remember?" He says innocently.

Did I? I'm not sure. But I'm here now. I huff in annoyance and get out of his car. "Thanks for the ride. I guess."

"Wait!" He says and I turn and look at him. His hand snakes out quick as lighting and grabs mine as he produces a pen out of nowhere. He proceeds to write something down on my hand and when he finally lets go I see it's a series of numbers. "My cell. Just in case you need another ride." He adds with a wink before he reaches over and closes the door.

I step back as he pulls out of my drive way. "I'm not going to call!" I shout at him. "Not- ever!"

"We'll see about that Angel!" He shouts back before peeling down the road back to civilization.

I sigh and shake my head before turning around. I didn't notice until now that Hank Miller's car is in the driveway. I dismiss it as just an attempt to get my mom to by a Toyota from him.

I open the door and walk into the kitchen, tossing my bag on a chair. "Mom?" I yell into the silence of the kitchen. No answer. I frown. If Hank is here trying to sell her a car, she'd be able to hear me. Wouldn't she?

I shrug and walk into the living room and stop dead in my tracks. On the couch are my mom and Hank Miller. Not sitting and talking. No, that would make too much sense. Instead, it's my mom and Hank sitting on the couch. Making out.

What.

The.

Hell.

"Out!" I yell and they spring apart, finally noticing that I'm here. "Get out!" I shout at Hank pointing towards the door.

My mom jumps up trying to straighten her hair and her clothes simultaneously, staring at me with wide eyes. "Nora!"

I ignore her. My full attention is on Hank. He stands up calmly and brushes off his pants. "I'm sorry for this inconvenience, Blythe." He says before turning to me.

"Get out of this house. Now!" I hiss at him.

He nods and walks past me. Neither my mother or I speak until we hear the door close behind Hank.

"Nora! You had no right to yell at Hank!" She scolds me.

I just stare at her incredulously. I see her lipstick smudged, her hair messed up and her clothes rumpled. "_I _have no right?" I ask. "_I _have no right!? What about you!? You have no right to be doing... to be doing _that_!" I yell at her.

"It's _my_ life Nora! I have the right to do what I want to do with it!" She yells back. "And if you recall this is also _my _house!"

"No, it's _Dad's _house! And you have no right to be doing that to him!" I shout at her. I feel tears prick at the back of my eyes, but I won't let them fall. "And whatever happened to all those times we made fun of the Miller's huh? Every time we joked about Hank and Marcie, you were doing _that _behind my back!?"

"It's _my _life Nora! And what are you even doing back now? Aren't you supposed to be at Vee's?" She asks.

And I laugh. "Vee's on _vacation._ Remember? You were supposed to pick me up! But no, you were too busy making out with Hank Miller to remember your own daughter!" I scream at her, the tears finally falling. My throat feels hoarse, but I keep yelling. "How could you do this to me!? How could you do this to _dad_!?"

"I'm just trying to be happy Nora!"

"I hate you!" I scream at her. We both stop and stare at each other, her gaze hurt and mine cold and unforgiving. I feel like a different person. I have never once in m life ever said _anything _like that to my mother before. And I'm not going to take it back. "I hate you." I say quieter before turning around and storming out of the house, slamming the door behind me.

"Nora!" I hear my mom call after me but I don't turn around. I keep walking all the way to my Spider and throw the door open and jump into the seat, slamming the door closed. "Nora!" I jam my keys into the ignition and wait for it to start. My poor car makes a dying sound and turns over and I try again. "Nora!" Three attempts and it won't start. I punch the steering wheel and scream. Then I see the number on my hand. "Nora!"

I pull my phone out and dial the number. Three rings before he picks up. "Yo?" In the background I hear the sound of pool cues cracking against balls.

"Patch." Is all I get out before I sniffle and have to stop myself from sobbing.

"Nora? What's up? Are you crying?" He asks, actual concern seeping into his voice.

"I-I just n-need that ride now." I say sniffling again.

"Got it, on my way." He says before hanging up.

"Nora Grey! Get out of that car this instant!" My mom shouts, banging against the door.

I get out and face her. It's like I'm seeing her in a whole new light. The Blythe Grey I knew would never do anything like this. She would never have done this to dad. Never. "How long?"

"Excuse me?" She snaps at me.

"How long have you to been doing this?" I ask. I don't let her respond though. I have too many questions now. "Even when dad was still alive? Did he ever find out? Wait, let me guess. That's how he died. He found out so Hank had to kill him off?" I say bitterly, not really meaning it.

"NORA!" She screams. "How _dare _you say something like that!? Hank would never do something like that!"

I shake my head and turn away just as a familiar jeep rolls into the driveway. A weird feeling rolls through my stomach at the site of it. Why of all the people in the world, did I call _him_? I met him not even an hour ago and now I'm using him to escape. I mentally shake my head. "Vee gets back tomorrow morning; I'll grab my stuff then."

"What?" My mom says surprised, her voice hoarse.

I say nothing but turn to the black car and hop into the passenger's seat.

"Any specific destination Angel?" Patch asks, an eyebrow raised.

I shake my head, staring at my mom through the windshield. "Just drive."

Patch does as I asked and soon we're driving down by Delphic.

"So out of curiosity, why'd you call me?" He asks as we take a random turn. I've long since given up trying to figure out where we're going exactly.

"I'm not sure." I tell him honestly. "My best friend isn't coming back from vacation until tomorrow morning, and your number was on my hand."

"So I guess it's a good thing I gave you my number huh?" He says and I can practically hear the grin in his voice. I don't respond though.

He pulls over by a little restaurant called Borderline. "Hey." He says softly. "No crying, 'kay?" He says wiping away a tear I didn't know had fallen.

"I don't know why I called you of all people." I say, having a bad case of word vomit all of a sudden. "I just needed to escape, ya know? And for some reason, I felt like I could trust you and I felt safe."

"Bad call Angel." He says, a soft grin playing on his lips.

I shake my head. "Maybe. Or maybe there was a reason you pulled up and asked me if I needed a ride. And a reason all this happened tonight." I laugh a little at my next thought. "Who knows, maybe your my own guardian angel."

A rueful twinge adding to his grin. "You have no idea Angel."

**A/N- TA DA! So this is my first Hush, Hush fic, so would you mind reviewing? THANKS! LOVE YA, BYE-BYE! Hope you like it Kalli!**


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